Designing a Passionate Life

Year End - Completing 2008 and Creating 2009

Designing a passionate life includes acknowledging yourself and what you've completed. By doing this you create space for new things to appear in your life. The end of the year is a perfect time to do this. I have provided a exercise for you to do just that. Use this exercise to acknowledge what you have completed in 2008 and state what you want to create in 2009.
 
2008 Acknowledgement
This exercise serves:

• to remind you of what you've accomplished and created
• to recognize and acknowledge what you have learned
• to re-evaluate the vision of what you desire or want
• to recognize what you can let go of

Enjoy this process. Recognize and acknowledge what you have accomplished. Immerse yourself in the energy of creation and be very clear about what you want to create. This process is a work in progress, as is all of our lives. We're never done. Think big and have fun doing this exercise. Get connected to the energy of your passions.

Part I - Completion 2008
What did you create in 2008? Make a list of what you created in your personal life this year. For each item on your list, answer the following questions.

• What have I accomplished by creating this?
• What energized me or filled me up by creating this?
• What drained my energy?
• What have I learned in this process? (In what ways did I grow from this?)
• What can I let go of? (What am I done with learning and ready to let go of)

Part II - Creation 2009
Ask yourself the following questions for the new year:

• When you imagine having lived a passion filled life at the end of 2009, what is different from your life today?
• List 3 to 5 things that if you create them, will move you towards living a passionate life in 2009.
• List the things you want to complete.

Repeat this process for the following areas of your life:
Business
Spiritual
Physical
Other?

What are you passionate about right now that will propel you forward into the act of creation in the year to come? What are you doing to live a passionate life? Sign up for my free Passion Deficit Disorder (PDD) report and find out what you can do about it.

 

5 Tips on How to Practice Gratitude

Designing a passionate life includes practicing gratitude. This is an inside out job. As you focus on living your passions, and taking actions to move you forward in that journey, always remember the importance of gratitude. When I looked up the meaning of gratitude most definitions define it as a state or emotion of being thankful or appreciative. I think this is accurate in as far as it goes.

What does not come out in this definition is the power of practicing gratitude. Being in a state of gratitude is a very powerful energy, it grounds you, and helps shift your perspective of the world in any moment that you practice it. It also creates connection with whom you share gratitude.

If you are feeling stressed out, overhwhelmed, or just a disappointed because life isn't going the way you planned it, practice gratitude and see what happens to your frame of mind and the shift that occurs in your body. It will make a difference. In order for this to work you do have to actually immerse yourself in the energy of gratitude. Don't just give it lip service or nothing will shift within you.

5 Tips for Practicing Gratitude

1. Start and end each day with a gratitude statement. What are you grateful for? Name one thing that you are grateful for when you wake up in the morning. State the first thing that comes to your mind. Before going to bed again state something you are for.Notice how you feel when you say it. Don't repeat the same item in the same day or in the same week. You may be surprised by what shows up.
2. Notice things during your day that you are grateful for. Make it a practice to find a certain number througout the day. When you notice something, simply say "Thank you". I do not only give thanks for things that are pleasant and warm and fuzzy but also for those things that challenge me to learn more about myself and appreciate who I am and what I have to offer.
3. Thank some one for a service provided, for a kind word, or for their assistance. Make it a habit to do this once a day. It doesn't matter how small or big it is. There is always something to be grateful for during the course of your day. For example, look outside at the plants that provide a cleaning mechanism for you to breath clean air, watching a pair of chipmunks play brings a smile to your face.
4. Start a gratitude journal. In this journal you can write your gratitude statements but then add an explanation for the statement. Really get into the energy of the gratitude and state why you are grateful for it, what you appreciates about the person or event. State how it makes you feel, write it down. There is nothing too small to include in your gratitude journal. Write down any shifts you are noticing. Keep noticing.
5. Give thanks to your higher power for the journey of life that you are on. The ups and downs, all are a part of this thing we call life.

I know that at times it is hard to be grateful, but that is when it is time to sink into the energy of gratitude for support, energy, and comfort in order to take the next steps to designing and living a passonate life. Take that first step by signing up for my free Passion Deficit Disorder (PDD) report and start living a passionate life.

The Job Rut: How to Get Out and Stay Out

"The path of least resistance and least trouble is a mental rut already made. It requires troublesome work to undertake the alternation of old beliefs." John Dewey

Perhaps you are a specialist in your field of work and you still are not living the life that you dreamed about. Did you live in the future and think "when I'm an expert in my field, I will have made it"  and now that you're there you are wondering why it doesn't feel the way you thought it would? You know something is missing, but you can't define what it is?

Maybe you feel as if your life is routine, flat, meaningless, you are no longer excited about increasing your skills in your area of expertise because it no longer energizes you. Keeping that energy for what we do for a living requires you to be aware of how you are feeling. If that energy or fire is no longer there for your career then you need to recognize it and check out your options.

Signs of Being in a Job Rut
On your commute to the job you feel tired about the project at work versus being excited about working on the project.

You feel fatigue in your body and wonder how long ago you actually got excited about a project at work.

You are at work and you dread going to another team meeting to talk about what is best for the company and you wonder if what you are doing is really having a positive impact on the world.

Your comfort zone is large in your area of expertise and instead of encouraging you to grow, it actually isolates you and stops your growth.

You no longer feel the thrill in receiving accolades in your area of expertise.

What Not To Do
We all try to handle job ruts in our own way. Here are some of the solutions that I've seen other people try that are worth avoiding;

Ignore how you feel and keep putting one foot in front of the other until you are numb and eventually get sick.

Make excuses as to why you are feeling the way that you are. I have a lot going on in my life right now, it will settle down in a little while. I can handle it.

Blame how you feel on your boss, coworkers, partner, or customers.

Convince yourself that your job would be great if just this one thing would be different, then you'll be happy and fulfilled.

What To Do
After listing all of the reasons people stay in ruts, I'd like to make a few suggestions for breaking out of the job rut.

Remember why you were first drawn to your area of expertise. What was it about it that excited you? How can you recapture some of that energy about it?

If you are no longer drawn to your area of expertise, then take The Passion Test with me and find out what you are passionate about now. Ask yourself, what gets you excited and energized. What do you want to continue to more learn about? What feeds you?

List 3 of the biggest challenges that keep you in the job rut. For each of the challenges, write down three possible solutions. Think outside the box. For each possible solution, write down three action steps. Commit to doing one of those action steps in the next week. Find an accountability partner to keep you on track, or hire a coach.

Sign up for my free report on Passion Deficit Disorder (PDD) and find out what you can do about living a passionate life that is energized, fun and fulfilling.

5 Tips on Patience

Designing a passionate life requires focus and patience. It is easy to get caught up in events of the day and loose your patience. To be patient means to be steadfast or calm in the face of obstacles or difficulties and without complaint. Complaining is a big subject so I will make it the topic of another blog post all by itself.

For now, let's focus on patience. Have you ever experienced a person who is patient under all circumstances no matter what is occurring? They understand that a lack of patience, drains your energy, creates negative energy for all people concerned, and stagnates creativity. Very often, impatience causes harsh words and arguments in all kinds of relationships.

When you find yourself impatient, try one of the following tips and see what happens:

Stop take a deep breath in through your nose, and breathe out through your mouth while you say ahhhhhh. Notice the difference in your body. Has any of the tension in your body gone? If not, try it again. Depending on invested you are in your impatience, it could take a few breaths.

Ask yourself: Where am I living right now? In the past, present, or future? If you are impatient, perhaps it is because you are remembering a similar circumstance that had a negative outcome, or you are wanting this moment to be over because you believe that the future will be better than the present. If you are not in the present, change your focus to what is occurring right now and perhaps you can affect a different outcome by using some creativity.

Ask yourself: What can I learn from this experience? Reflect on what is occurring and notice the emotions that are present in this event. What are other possibilities for how you could be in this experience? How can you change to reduce your level of impatience?

Ask yourself: What story am I creating about this experience? Often times we make up stories as to why we believe a person or an event is not going how you thought it would go. Notice the story that you make up and see if you can make up a different one that reduces your impatience.

To be patient requires faith. You may have a goal or a plan that you want to implement and it is taking longer than you want it to. Being impatient will probably delay the outcome even more because your creative energy will be stagnated and you may not see other possible actions to take that could move your forward faster and easier. Patience requires faith in yourself, the process, and your higher power.

It's time to identify your passions, focus on those passions, be patient, and start living a passionate life now. Download my free report on Passion Deficit Disorder (PDD) and see what you can do about it now.

How to Write an Acknowledgement Letter to Yourself

Designing a passionate life takes commitment, developing new habits and most of all acknowledging that you have moved forward and you are taking steps towards living your passions. Acknowledgement is the recognition of really understanding and knowing what it took to move you forward.

When do you write yourself an acknowledgement letter? When you catch yourself saying things like: "I should have...", "I didn't say....", or any other form of negative self talk. It is so easy to fall into the trap of seeing only the things you don't do or say, or act upon. You may be surprised at what shows up when you write an acknowledgement letter.

The purpose of the letter is to acknowledge where you are at right now, who you had to be to get there, and then affirm your commitment to move forward in your life. Take a look at the following sample acknowledgement letter to stimulate your ideas.

Dear [Your Name]:
I have been working really hard in my business this past week but I still feel like I have so much left to do that at times it feels overwhelming. I am aware of the stress that this thought has on me and the level of anxiety it causes me. I see that it places me in a contracted state. I know that I can't be creative or at my most productive level when I try to function in a contracted state. I feel sad, angry, and frustrated because I don't think that I'm making progress.

I know that I want to change from a contracted state to an expanded state so I can move forward with more joy and less stress. So I want to acknowledge all of the things that I did accomplish in the last week for my business. I made 30 cold calls and have 15 very good prospects, I helped write the marketing message for our new product, I mentored five of my employees and they all left feeling uplifted and ready to take action, I signed 20 new contracts for our product in the last week and that is my best week ever.

Wow, after writing that list, I want to acknowledge the deep level of passion and commitment it took to accomplish these things. I guess I am more on track than I thought. I had to call on my courage to make those cold calls and on my communications skills to encourage and inspire my employees. I guess I tend to expect more from myself than I do from my employees.

Moving forward I want to release my negative self-talk, recognize when I am using my strengths or stretching myself outside my comfort zone. I want to appreciate who I am being when I am doing all that I do. I want to eliminate the self-induced stress that I put on myself and live in gratitude and appreciation. I commit that I will acknowledge myself in writing on a weekly basis and acknowledge at the end of the day, one aspect of myself that I used during that day. I am on track to living a passionate life.

Love, [Your Name]

You can use this sample acknowledgement letter to stimulate ideas for what yours might look like and what you might say in it. Embrace who you are and what actions that you have taken towards living a passionate life.

When are you going to start living your passions? Sign up for my free PDD report and find out what you can do about it.

 

De-Stressing in Today's World

Designing a passionate life consists of seeing every moment as precious, no matter what is occurring. This can be a big challenge when everywhere you turn, you hear, read, or see something negative about our world today or you have first hand experience. This isn't new but it seems to be more prevalent right now.

The financial situation of our country has hit everyone in one form or another. It is very easy to fall into the well of doom and gloom, if you let yourself. I have my own moments of fear and stress that is for sure. However, there are a few tools that I use to keep me centered and in the moment.

There are a number of things that you can do to live peacefully in these turbulent times. It takes focus, practice, and commitment, but it can be done. I use a variety of tools that help me to release my fears and blocks. I also came across a document that you can download for free if you'd like that has a number of tips in it for de-stressing in changing times.

I have found the following tools to be very powerful:
Emotional Freedom Technique or EFT - this is a tool that you use that involves tapping on acupuncture points after you identify the emotional issue. I have incredible success with this method. I could go on and on with my experiences with EFT but I will save that for another blog post. It works well for some and not so well for others. You can get a free e-book download on how to do it at http://www.emofree.com/downloadeftmanual.asp

"The Work" by Byron Katie - I use this as well. It is a great tool to use in the moment when a thought appears that causes you stress. I have mentioned her work before and found it to be very powerful. Again, I could speak at great length about the powerful affect of The Work. You can experience "The Work' at http://www.byronkatietheworkonline.com/

The last tool I'd like to tell you about is a free booklet from The Institute of Heart Math and it is called "De-Stress Kit for the Changing Times" and it is located at: http://www.heartmath.org/for-you/destress-kit-for-the-changing-times.html. It is written by Dr. Childre, founder of HeartMath. I have attended a seminar by Howard Martin, the Vice President of HeartMath LLC, and co-author of  "The HeartMath Solution" and found him and his message to be of high integrity. I enjoyed his free report on stress. He has some great ideas on how to deal with it.

You have a choice, live in fear and wish that things were the way they used to be, or accept what is, decide how you want to be and feel during these times and move forward. Start now and design a passionate life that includes appreciating life right here and right now.

 

Inspired Action

Designing a passionate life manifests in all sorts of ways and is done by all kinds of people. The passionate life you design will not resemble what someone else designs as a passionate life. This is all perfect and as it should be. If everyone wanted the same things in the world, we would have a problem. I have worked with people who are passionate about their Spirituality and want to bring it fully into their lives. Others are passionate about starting a business, and yet others want to find their purpose and shine their light in the world and make a difference.

I'm inspired to write about one of my clients, and I will call her Irena. She was at a point in her life where she no longer found hercareer fulfilling and felt like she had no direction or purpose in life. She was searching for more, but unsure of what that "more" was about. She wanted to find out what was important to her and determine a path and then take action.

This was not a short process but a gradual journey of self-awareness and soul searching. We worked together over time and during this time, she started to gain clarity about what was important to her. Sometimes the clarity came from knowing what she didn't want.

If you are unsure as to what you want to create in your life start with what you don't want in your life. Simply list the things you don't want and then write down the opposite of them. These things will be clues for you as to what you do want in your life. It is very easy to get caught up in the 'confusion' state.

I have known people who say that they want to make a change but don't know what that change should be because they are confused. Sometimes they are afraid of making a mistake and often they stay in the same place year after year after year. Not making a choice is as good as doing nothing. Don't use confusion as an excuse to not take action. Make a choice and give it a try. If it doesn't work, try again.

Over time, Irena got clear that she wanted to go into the Peace Corps. She is in the second half of her life so this was a major lifestyle change for her. She did her research, filled out the necessary papers, interviewed and got accepted.

She is one year into her Peace Corps journey, which took her to Tanzania. She is teaching computer skills to the children in a very small village. She has to walk an hour to get to a computer with Internet access. I receive a few emails from her and every time I do, I am so touched by her courage to make such a major change of direction in her life.

I can see the affect of her journey on her and the wisdom she has gained from this part of her life's journey. I am so inspired and blessed to know her. Her courage inspires me and helps me to see my life in a different light. Not only is she touching the lives of people in Tanzania but also all of her friends and family who are witnessing her incredible journey.

What are you passionate about? When are you going to start living your dreams? Sign up for my free PDD report and find out what you can do about living a passionate life. Take care and live inspired.

Living in The Moment

Designing a passionate life means living in the moment consistently. I have heard this saying over the years, and at an intellectual level I understood it but at a practical level it took me a while to really understand and be able to implement it. I'mgetting better and better at truly living in the moment. It requires constant use of choice about my thoughts and actions.

Where Do You Live?
Are you living in the present moment or in the past or future? For example, are you stressed out because you are so busy getting to the future that the present moment is miserable? Are you always looking forward to the next vacation for fun rather than appreciating what is right now?

If this is your model then you are constantly living in the future and not the present. You are resisting the present and draining your energy. It is a circle and one which you cannot escape until you recognize how you are functioning. This doesn't mean that you don't plan for the future, but you don't sacrifice the present for what 'might' occur in the future.

Living in the past can impact the present moment as well. For example, my father died last year from cancer from asbestos exposure. If I spent every waking moment talking about the injustice and anger towards the manufacturers who use asbestos that caused my father to suffer, and I would be miserable. My life would be stressful, I would have no energy, and I would miss what is happening in this moment. In essence, I would be living in resistance to what is. That is not where I choose to live my life. My father is dead, that is what is and I choose not to resist it.

Living in the moment also applies to unpleasant times in your life. Life isn't always happy but it is full.  During the year before my father died, I experienced a wide range of emotions. I let myself experience them and move through them. I was present in the moment. In some ways, my grief forced me to be totally present in the moment with my emotions. There were times when I wished I could change the outcome so I had forays into the past and future during this time. However, I didn't take up residence in either one.

Ask yourself: Where do I Live? Where do I want to Live?

The benefits of living in the moment include more:

• Energy to focus on what is at hand
• Energy at the end of the day
• Peace and less stress
• Flow and ease in life
• Enjoyment out of what is now rather than looking at some perceived 'joy' in the future

Start Living in the Moment Now
It is a journey and one you can start right now. Decide to consciously choose to live in the moment. Do this by noticing what you are focusing on, is it the present moment, the past, or the future? If you slip, notice it and come back to the present. Don't beat yourself up about it. The biggest thing that you can do is to watch yourself and your thoughts. Hear what you are saying to yourself and to others.

As you begin this journey of noticing you will notice yourself living in the past and future. That is to be expected, notice it and refocus on the present moment. Write a list of the things that you are grateful for in the present moment. Recognize that nothing exists except in the Now. This can be very abstract and hard to get you head around it. I suggest that you open your heart and it will know what to do.

There are two resources that I would like to recommend to you to assist you in this journey. One is a book by Eckhart Tolle called "The Power of Now" and the other is "The Work" by Byron Katie. Tolle's book is a great place to start to help explain how powerful living in the present moment is.

I discovered "The Work" during the year when my father was dying and it was a powerful tool to help me through that process and I continue to use to this day. You can find "The Work" at http://www.ByronKatieTheWorkOnline.com/
 

The Power of Sangha

Designing a passionate life, for me, includes a Sangha. What is a Sangha? The word Sangha is Sanskrit and can be roughly translated as a community with a common purpose. I have been a member of two Sanghas for a number of years. One Sanghais made up of individuals and the other is a couples Sangha. We meet once a month for the purpose of sharing what is going on in our lives and for prayer support.

Having a community who supports you in your life journey is very powerful. The Sangha is safe place to share your fears, concerns, joys, and wins in life. It is NOT a place for giving advice to others. The only job of the people in the Sangha is to bear witness to what you are saying. Having your spoken word witnessed is very powerful. When you have to speak your truth out loud, you gain clarity about the situations. I have had ah-ha moments during the Sangha as I spoke about events in my life.

I'd like to explain how they work so if you are interested you could try starting one of your own. You want no more than 6 people in the Sangha. You want people who you feel safe with and who will commit to attending and adhere to the rules.

How to Run a Sangha

• Meet once a month for 1.5-2 hours - find a place where you will not be interrupted.
• What is said in the sangha, stays in the sangha. You must create a safe space for the witnessing to occur.
• Open the sangha with a prayer by one of the members.
• Each person speaks about what has been going on in their lives since the last gathering. When you are speaking about your life, it is not about complaining or telling the story about the events but about how you felt during an event and what you learned as a result of that event or set of circumstances. This is a time for self-reflection and taking the steps to clarity.
• While each person speaks, there is absolutely no cross-talk. This means that no one asks questions, or gives advice. You simply listen attentively. Even after the circle of the Sangha is complete, you do not offer advice or discuss the topics.
• After everyone has had a turn to speak, each person writes down their prayer request in their journal. Each person then reads their prayer request out loud while the rest of the group writes it down. This results in having five other people praying for you for a month.
• End the Sangha with another prayer.
• Socialize with snacks, coffee, tea, or dinner. It is a group decision.

I have found my Sanghas to be very helpful during difficult times in my life. I remember the year when my father was dying from cancer, I leaned into my sangha for prayer support. It helped tremendously. It is very helpful when I am focusing on my passions and can speak to my journey about living my passions. I highly recommend it.

When are you going to start living a passionate life? Sign up for my free PDD report and find out what you can do about it. 

The Power of Journaling

Desigining a passionate life, I believe, requires journaling and self-reflection. I love the quote by Judy Collins; "I write journals and would recommend journal writing to anyone who wishes to pursue a writing career. You learn a lot. You also remember a lot... and memory is important." Don't worry, you don't have to become a writer just because you journal. The journal is for your eyes only.

Desiring to live a passionate life that has more joy and fulfillment in it is something that a lot of people want, but don't think they can ever have or may even think they don't deserve. Only you can answer the question "What would my life be like if I was passionate about what I do everyday?"

Let's take a closer look at how to stay in a passionless life and then come up with some suggestions how how break free and live passionately.

How to Stay in a Passionless Life
Don't take a look at your life and ask yourself if you are happy and fulfilled. Keep your head down and do the same old things that you always have and continue to wonder why you don't laugh more during the course of the day or why little things that happen can ruin your day.

Don't try anything new in your life. Stay safe in your comfort zone, after all what would happen if you tried something new and you didn't like it? Don't journal or perform any type of self-reflection. After all, you may not like what you discover.

Don't make conscious decisions. Continue to make decisions based on the same information and patterns that you have always had and experience the similar results. At least you are comfortable with the decision process and can prove that things always turn out a certain way.

How to Start Living a Passionate Life
I think that journaling is one of the most powerful ways to learn about yourself. It is an amazing experience to put your thoughts into words and to reflect on them. Start writing a journal and explore some of the following questions.

What am I passionate about? What gets me excited? What energizes me? When did I loose touch with the passion that is inside of me? If you can't even tap into the energy of passion then list the things you really dislike and write the opposite of those things. These are clues to what you are passionate about.

Journal about the possibilites of what new things you would like to do in your life, how you would like to live, how do you want to feel as you go through your life? After you obtain a list of the possibilities put a plan in place and start taking action.

Journal about your decisions. Reflect on the decisions you make during the course of a day and see if you notice any patterns to those decisions. Are there similar circumstances when you respond and react the same way? What are the other possibilities for how you respond and react under these circumstances?

If the thought of writing in a journal every day seems overwhelming, start out slowly. Make sure you buy a nice looking journal, put it in a special place and assign a time of day when you are going to write. Make sure the TV, radio, and any other devices that may distract you are turned off.

Start out by writing five minutes a day. Do this for a week and see how it feels. Up the amount of time to 10 minutes per day the next week. Experiment with the amount of time that works for you. You will eventually settle on a time that works for you. There is not time like the present to start living passionately. Sign up for my free PDD report and see what else you can do.